How to Start and End a Business Email Professionally

First impressions matter. Last impressions stick. In a business email, you get about three seconds to sound professional before the reader decides how seriously to take you. The opening line sets the tone. The closing line determines whether they actually do what you asked. Get both wrong and your perfectly written middle section is wasted.

This lesson focuses on exactly that: how to open and close a business email in a way that sounds natural, professional, and appropriate for the situation.

The Lesson: Openings and Closings That Actually Work

Starting your email

The greeting comes first, and the rule is simple: match your level of formality to your relationship with the reader.

For someone you don’t know, or a senior person in a formal context:

Dear Mr Johnson,
Dear Ms Patel,

For a colleague you work with regularly, or a client you’ve spoken to before:

Hi Sarah,
Hello David,

After the greeting, you need an opening line. This is where most learners freeze. The purpose of this line is to establish context and ease the reader in. Here are reliable options:

• First contact: “I’m writing to enquire about…” or “I came across your website and wanted to reach out regarding…”
• Following up: “Further to our conversation on Tuesday…” or “I’m following up on my email from last week.”
• Responding: “Thank you for getting back to me.” or “Thank you for your email regarding the project update.”

Notice what’s missing from all of those? “Hope this email finds you well.” You can use it occasionally, but if it’s your automatic opener for every single email, it has lost all meaning. Readers skim straight past it. Be specific instead. “I hope the conference went well last week” is warmer and more human than a phrase that appears in approximately 40% of all business emails ever sent.

Ending your email

The closing has two parts: a final line before your sign-off, and the sign-off itself.

The final line tells the reader what you want to happen next. Be clear. Vague endings create vague responses.

• “Please let me know if you have any questions.”
• “I look forward to hearing from you.”
• “Could you confirm receipt of this by Friday?”
• “I’d be happy to arrange a call if that would be helpful.”

Then comes the sign-off. Match it to your opening tone:

• Formal: Yours sincerely (when you used a name), Yours faithfully (when you opened with “Dear Sir/Madam”)
• Semi-formal: Kind regards, Best regards
• Informal but professional: Best, Thanks, Cheers (for close colleagues in relaxed workplaces)

A quick note on “Yours faithfully” vs “Yours sincerely”: this distinction trips up learners constantly. If you know the person’s name and used it, you use sincerely. If you opened with “Dear Sir or Madam,” you use faithfully. Think of it as: name in, sincerely out.

Consistent practice with real email structures is exactly the kind of thing we work through in our daily coaching sessions. If you want feedback on your actual writing, find out how the programme works here.

The Common Mistake

The most frequent error is a mismatch in register. A learner opens with “Dear Mr Thompson” and closes with “Cheers, mate.” Or they write “Hi Emma!” to a client they’ve never met.

Register means the level of formality you use, and it needs to be consistent from the first word to the last. Choose your lane at the start of the email and stay in it.

The correction: before you write a single word, ask yourself two questions. Do I know this person? Is this context formal or informal? Your answers determine your register. Then keep it consistent throughout.

A second common mistake: writing “I am looking forward to hear from you.” The correct form is “I look forward to hearing from you” or “I’m looking forward to hearing from you.” The verb after look forward to must be in the gerund (-ing) form. It’s a small thing that experienced readers notice immediately.

Practice Tips You Can Use Today

1. Audit your last five sent emails. Check the opening line and sign-off of each one. Are they appropriate for the relationship? Is the register consistent? You’ll often spot a pattern in your own mistakes quickly this way.
2. Collect phrases that work. When you receive a well-written email in English, note the opening and closing phrases. Keep a short list. Over time you’ll build a personal bank of phrases you can trust.
3. Rewrite the same email in two registers. Take a real email you need to send and write it twice: once formally, once in a semi-formal tone. Compare them. This forces you to notice the specific words and phrases that shift the register. Even five minutes of this is useful.

Vocabulary to Know

• register /ˈredʒ.ɪ.stər/ – Level: B2 – the level of formality used in speech or writing, chosen according to the situation and audience – Example: She adjusted her register when writing to the CEO instead of her usual team.
• sign-off /ˈsaɪn.ɒf/ – Level: B1 – the closing word or phrase used before your name at the end of an email or letter – Example: He always used “Kind regards” as his sign-off with new clients.
• to enquire /ɪnˈkwaɪər/ – Level: B1 – to ask for information, especially in a formal or professional context – Example: I am writing to enquire about the availability of your services in March.
• to follow up /ˈfɒl.əʊ ʌp/ – Level: B1 – to make contact again after an earlier communication, often to check on progress or get a response – Example: She followed up on the proposal she had sent the previous week.
• gerund /ˈdʒer.ənd/ – Level: B2 – the -ing form of a verb used as a noun or after certain verbs and prepositions – Example: The word “hearing” in “I look forward to hearing from you” is a gerund.
• semi-formal /ˌsem.iˈfɔː.məl/ – Level: B2 – a tone or style that is professional but not strictly formal; polite without being stiff – Example: “Best regards” is a semi-formal sign-off suitable for most professional emails.
• to confirm receipt /kənˈfɜːm rɪˈsiːt/ – Level: B2 – to let the sender know that you have received something – Example: Please confirm receipt of the attached contract at your earliest convenience.
• opening line /ˈəʊ.pən.ɪŋ laɪn/ – Level: B1 – the first sentence of an email body, which sets the tone and purpose of the message – Example: A strong opening line immediately tells the reader why you are writing.
• at your earliest convenience /æt jɔːr ˈɜː.li.ɪst kənˈviː.ni.əns/ – Level: C1 – a formal phrase meaning as soon as it is possible or easy for you to do so – Example: Could you please review the attached document at your earliest convenience?
• to reach out /riːtʃ aʊt/ – Level: B1 – to contact someone, especially to initiate communication – Example: I wanted to reach out to introduce myself and discuss a potential collaboration.

FAQ

Can I start a business email with “I hope you’re doing well”?

Yes, but use it sparingly. It’s not wrong, it’s just overused to the point of being invisible. If you genuinely want to acknowledge the person, make it specific: reference something real, like a recent meeting or event. That actually registers.

What’s the difference between “Best regards” and “Kind regards”?

In practice, very little. Both are professional and appropriate for most business emails. “Kind regards” can feel slightly warmer. “Best regards” is slightly more neutral. Neither is wrong. What matters more is that your sign-off matches the tone of the rest of your email.

Is it acceptable to end an email with just “Thanks”?

With colleagues you know well, absolutely. With a new client or senior contact, it can read as abrupt. A safer option in those cases is “Thank you” or “Many thanks,” which carries the same warmth but reads as more considered.

Keep Practising

Openings and closings are small things that make a real difference. Once you get comfortable with the structure, the rest of the email becomes easier to write because you already know the frame you’re working in.

If you want to work on your professional writing with regular feedback and real practice, our daily coaching sessions are built for exactly that. Find out more about the subscription here.